Care and construction workers lead new B.C. PNP draw

British Columbia has issued a new round of invitations to skilled immigration candidates working in priority care and construction occupations.

On July 9, the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program, also known as the BCPNP, held a targeted occupation-based draw under its Skills Immigration stream. The province invited at least 343 candidates to apply for provincial nomination.

The draw focused on “highly qualified workers” in fields where B.C. continues to face labour needs, including childcare, healthcare, veterinary care and construction trades.

Care and Construction Roles Targeted

This was the eighth Skills Immigration draw held by British Columbia in 2026. It was also the province’s 15th selection round overall this year.

The latest draw followed B.C.’s updated nomination priorities, which are built around key provincial goals. This round focused on two of those goals: care and build. These priorities are meant to help the province bring in skilled workers who can support important services and fill gaps in the labour market.

Construction trades received the largest number of invitations in the draw. The province targeted nine construction-related occupations and issued 136 invitations. Candidates in this group needed a minimum score of 97.

Healthcare candidates also received a large share of invitations. British Columbia targeted 31 healthcare occupations and issued 116 invitations. The minimum score for this group was 96.

Childcare candidates received 91 invitations. Only one childcare occupation was targeted, and candidates needed a minimum score of 108.

Veterinary care candidates were also included in the draw. The province targeted two veterinary care occupations and issued fewer than five invitations. The minimum score for this group was 88.

Third Occupation-Based SI Draw This Year

The July 9 selection was the third Skills Immigration draw in 2026 to focus on specific occupations. Other Skills Immigration rounds this year have selected candidates based on different factors, including minimum registration score, wage or salary, and the TEER level of a job offer.

British Columbia says future invitation rounds may use different selection priorities. Candidates in the Skills Immigration pool may be considered based on their education, field of study, work experience, language ability, occupation, professional designation in B.C., wage, job offer skill level, and plans to live and work in a specific region of the province.

The province may also consider whether a candidate fits strategic priorities linked to labour market needs, pilot projects or government initiatives.

As of July 9, British Columbia has issued at least 3,107 invitations to apply for provincial nomination through the Skills Immigration category in 2026.

Registration Pool Shows Strong Competition

To be considered under Skills Immigration, foreign nationals must first submit a registration, also called an Expression of Interest profile. Once submitted, candidates receive a score based on the information they provide. They are then placed into the relevant registration pool.

British Columbia periodically selects candidates from this pool and invites them to apply for provincial nomination.

As of July 7, the latest available update before the draw, the province reported 8,683 registrations in the BCPNP pool.

The largest group of candidates had scores between 100 and 109. That range included 1,728 registrations, representing 19.9 per cent of the pool.

Other major score ranges included 1,496 registrations between 90 and 99, 1,369 between 110 and 119, and 1,058 between 120 and 129.

Following the July 9 draw, the pool likely had at least 343 fewer registrations than it did on July 7. However, that estimate does not include new registrations added after July 7 or any profiles that may have expired.